Tech on the Street: Meet Calien Fales-Jussel

Meet Calien.

1. IPM has me plugging away on...

IPM recently inked a deal with a global publicly traded asset management firm that needed onsite senior engineering staff to help the firm prepare for and execute several IT initiatives. Given the project scope, I was assigned to this client based on my extensive background with Microsoft technologies and expertise in Exchange, Active Directory, business continuity and operations.

In addition to project work, I help manage IPM's Microsoft Partner alliance and am the technical lead for the practice. I work with the Microsoft team to stay up to date on new product releases and services, program opportunities, certifications and resources to ensure we give our clients the very best advice available.

2. My newsfeed worthy professional and personal achievements this year are...

I was nominated for Virtual Technology Solution Professional (V-TSP) status, an elite group of highly skilled specialists within Microsoft’s partner community that help Microsoft’s internal Technology Specialist team deliver pre-sale activities and resources to empower customers and help them meet their solution and integration needs.

What’s cool is that I now get a Microsoft badge and access to exclusive information on the Microsoft corporate network such as knowledge bases, technical articles, training materials, and other resources that will only further my abilities to help IPM's clients.

3. Clients are hooked on what 2-3 hot IT initiatives this year?

Transforming the desktop user experience is a big focus for clients this year. Companies are moving from generic and unreliable systems to more personalization and consistency. Now more than ever, the desktop is going 'lite' meaning companies are using resources like Systems Center Configuration Manager and App-V to lessen the footprint on the desktop and improve user satisfaction, productivity and systems management.

Other points of client interest are Microsoft Exchange upgrades, Office 365 migrations, and moving workloads to Microsoft's cloud platform, Windows Azure. Many firms are starting to look into cloud offerings and can easily start with Test and Dev environments.

4. I "cracked the IT code" with these tips and suggestions

I think it's important for companies to keep in mind the importance of regular health check assessments and scheduled tech audits. Companies need to have a good pulse on their existing infrastructure (the good, the bad and the ugly) before they can look ahead. Pre-planning and preparation are key steps that often are overlooked by clients, and yet, they are the most important stages of any implementation because it's what ensures the success and longevity of any IT project. My two cents - take the time to do it right from the get go and ensure all IT projects are future proofed for at least 3 years and can scale quickly and easily as demand increases.

5. Under the hood

I am a semi-pro competitive pinball player and play in Manhattan and Brooklyn league I am also an amateur photographer and travel enthusiast.